Big Sky: When the Emu left the Earth

"Everything has two witnesses, one on earth and one in the sky. This tells you where you came from and where you belong to your mother s Country, your father s or grandfather s Country or whichever place speaks to your soul"

Big Sky, when the emu left the earth is an exquisite conversation of sky knowledge between Aboriginal farmer and award-winning writer Bruce Pascoe and astrophysicist Professor Ray Norris.

This meeting of science and philosophy, tempered by holistic knowledge gained from deep observation over millennia offers a philosophy of peace for our age. It reframes astronomy not only as a science but as ethics and Law in our heavens. This dialogue places First Nations beliefs as rigorous, enduring knowledge, offering ecological and astronomical insights which could help navigate current climate threats. From Magabala s First Nations, First Knowledges series.

About the author

Bruce Pascoe is an Aboriginal farmer and writer of literary fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays and children’s literature, based on Yuin Country. His publications have won numerous awards including the NSW Premier’s Award for Literature, the Booksellers Association Prize and the CBCA Eve Pownall award. He is the author of the groundbreaking, bestselling book Dark Emu.

Professor Ray Norris is a retired Professor and an Honorary Fellow at CSIRO Space & Astronomy. He researches the evolution of the universe using radio telescopes.

For the past 20 years he has studied the astronomy of Indigenous Australians and is fascinated by their many intellectual achievements as they sought to understand their universe, and the way that astronomy is deeply intertwined with culture.

The more he learns about Aboriginal astronomy, the more he realises that it will take another lifetime to truly appreciate it.

Bruce Pascoe and Ray Norris
Published April 2026
Paperback
262 pages 
210mm x 151mm
ISBN 9781922864376